Articles written by Elizabeth Hovde
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Nurse Licensure Compact puts Washington state patients in safer position
Nearly 1,300 nurses with a multistate license, instead of a Washington-specific one, are working in Washington state right now. That’s according to the Washington State Board of Nursing and thanks...
State agencies can rehire workers terminated for lack of a COVID-19 vaccine
When Gov. Jay Inslee’s misguided vaccine mandate ended in May, his office said there would not be an outreach effort to rehire the more than 2,000 employees lost because of the condition for...
Eradicating barriers to state employment is on Washington state's agenda
Washington state should be acknowledging the many different routes to growing one’s work qualifications, including on-the-job training and advancement, apprenticeships, internships, vocational...
Payroll tax for WA Cares has begun, but meetings continue on program details
We have lift-off! That was the theme at Tuesday’s meeting for the commission set up to oversee the ongoings of WA Cares, a state-imposed, long-term-care program that is supposed to be funded by...
Another shot at WA Cares
Let’s Go Washington is taking aim at the WA Cares Fund and a payroll tax that workers started paying this month with an initiative campaign. Initiative 2124, an Initiative to the Legislature, would...
State should protect Medicaid for people in need
Washington state officials sound prepared and optimistic about the Medicaid wind-down that can happen now that a continuous-coverage requirement from the federal government has been lifted off...
Inslee, apologize to fired workers
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is busy signing bills. I think he should start putting his John Hancock on apology letters to former state workers who were terminated because of his vaccine mandate....
Vaccine mandate news - and a disturbing lack of news
A May 1 press release from the White House announced that the Biden administration has started the process to end COVID-19 vaccine rules placed on health care facilities receiving Medicaid and...
Poor now?
The legislative session is in full swing, which means a lot of lawmakers are interested in picking winners and losers. Instead of creating equal opportunities, an equality of outcome is being sought....
Vaccine authority still unclear
In June, Gov. Jay Inslee dictated there would be a permanent COVID-19 vaccine mandate that extended beyond the reach of his emergency powers. When the Legislature convenes in the new year, our other...
Emergency ends, but many remain fired
Don’t forget that even as Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee’s state of emergency ends after 975 days, there are still many people who were separated from their jobs because of a COVID-19 vaccine...
New payroll tax in July 2023
A window to apply for an exemption from a payroll tax that begins in July 2023 is still open, but it will only be open for about two more months. It closes Dec. 31. If you’re one of the people who...
Long-term care is a life need
There wasn't much notice for August's webinar hosted by the WA Cares Fund. It was titled, "Long-Term Care Planning for Near-Retirees." I finally went back for a watch. In addition to presentations...
Who gets to escape the LTC payroll tax
Right now, the only people who can opt out of the WA Cares Fund, a new long-term-care (LTC) program that is supposed to be fueled by a payroll tax on workers, are those who had private long-term-care...
State health board rejects vaccination requirement
The state Board of Health unanimously passed a motion to accept the recommendation from a technical advisory group (TAG) against a COVID-19 immunization requirement for school entry. Board members...
Repeal - only real fix for long-term care
As predicted, there was a whirlwind of activity in the first few weeks of the legislative session related to the WA Cares Fund. That’s the name of a new social program the state’s legislative...
We need fewer regulations, not more
At a recent press conference, Gov. Jay Inslee was asked several questions about the state’s nursing shortage, a problem that existed long before the COVID-19 era. Reporters were stabbing around at...
